International, Ecumenical Prayer needed to defeat COVID Pandemic?

[Averoff]

Science has done all it can do, we have access to vaccines which can diminish COVID symptoms if not stop the infection. Science has accomplished a lot, but we're still battling this pandemic.

Is it time to elevate to a Higher level and pray for Divine intervention to defeat this deadly pandemic? Is God wanting us to turn to Him and ask for Deliverance? Thoughts?

 

[Ainnir]

Well I'm having a hard time finding it, but last year AANA sent out a COVID prayer (as I'm sure many jurisdictions did). Its focus was not just on asking for protection and healing but also on repentance. I agree that there should be repentance involve. The lockdown was horrible and annoying, but it could also have been great time for many to take stock of their lives, pay attention to what's left when the world pretty much stops, and repent for the idols we've allowed to replace God and relationship. Did we? I didn't... not enough. I enjoyed the non-busyness, though.

As far as I know, this is a Protestant quote, but I like it: "Prayer should be our first line of defense, not our last resort." We should have always been praying. Whether God will miraculously do away with COVID overnight, I don't know, but I'm certain He always wants us turning to Him and asking for deliverance. From our own sin first, but from the struggles of life, too. But then we have to trust His answer and timing. That's the hard part.

 

[Stinky]

God, I ask You not to free me from the live sufferings, but I ask You that in those suffering You do not leave me.

Serbian patriarch Pavle (+2009)

This was quoted in "Modern Church Fathers" here and it has sweetly changed how I have been praying this week since I read it. It is a beautiful way to view suffering in ourselves and all around us to be able to simply trust God's very help through it all.

 

[Averoff]

Perhaps God is using this pandemic to bring man back to Faith? We have certainly strayed the last few decades. Things are happening openly today in the western world which would not have been whispered about in past decades. Too many people are in love with power and want to force their values on the rest of us-because they can. We are far from a righteous people today.

Science has done pretty much all it can do to resolve this pandemic, the rest is up to God. It's time to be humble and ask for God's intervention, while we still can.

 

[LizaSymonenko]

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (uocofusa.org) has issued a prayer from the first week of the pandemic. The prayer has been printed and mailed to all the faithful, has been published for use via social media, etc... It is prayed by the laity day and night, and is prayed every Divine Liturgy by the clergy before the Holy Altar Table.

Council of Bishops of the UOC of the USA: Prayer in Time of Coronavirus

Собор Єпископів УПЦ США: Молитва в Час Розповсюдження Коронавірусу

www.uocofusa.org

 

[Arachne]

The GOARCH prayers:

Prayers of Protection from the Coronavirus - Personal and Devotional Prayers - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Lord our God, You who are rich in mercy, and with careful wisdom direct our lives, listen to our prayer, receive our repentance for our sins, bring an end to this new infectious disease, this new epidemic, just as you averted the punishment of your people in the time of David the King. Lord our...

www.goarch.org

I use the one written by Met. Joel of Edessa and widely circulated in Greece since March 2020:

Προσευχές για τον Κορονοϊό .: Πίστη .: Ματιά

Ο Μητροπολίτης Εδέσσης, Πέλλης και Αλμωπίας κ. Ιωήλ έγραψε μια ευχή ειδικά για την Πανδημία του Κορωνοϊού

www.matia.gr

You can hear it recited (in Greek) here:

 

[Averoff]

The GOARCH prayers:

Prayers of Protection from the Coronavirus - Personal and Devotional Prayers - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Lord our God, You who are rich in mercy, and with careful wisdom direct our lives, listen to our prayer, receive our repentance for our sins, bring an end to this new infectious disease, this new epidemic, just as you averted the punishment of your people in the time of David the King. Lord our...

www.goarch.org

I use the one written by Met. Joel of Edessa and widely circulated in Greece since March 2020:

Προσευχές για τον Κορονοϊό .: Πίστη .: Ματιά

Ο Μητροπολίτης Εδέσσης, Πέλλης και Αλμωπίας κ. Ιωήλ έγραψε μια ευχή ειδικά για την Πανδημία του Κορωνοϊού

www.matia.gr

You can hear it recited (in Greek) here:

Those are good prayers, I will start using them. If enough of us pray to God for Deliverance from this virus, who knows?

 

[Averoff]

I found this Coronavirus prayer with ArchBishop Elpidophoros (mix English and Greek):